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SEPTEMBER 3, 2026 |
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Key stat: Just 15% of US parents of school-aged children will do their back-to-school spending in early July this year, down from 28% in 2025 and roughly even with 2019's 14%, according to a July report from Deloitte. |
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Beyond the chart: |
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Parents have learned to wait, and 72% of US adults now say they track price trends over time before deciding to buy, especially on big-ticket items,
according to CivicScience. |
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Meanwhile, the dollars have not moved, only the calendar. US back-to-school spending will reach $85.42 billion this year,
per our forecast, as families protect education budgets and hunt for value rather than cut back. |
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Use this chart: Drop this in your seasonal planning review to push back on the idea that back-to-school keeps creeping earlier. Show the early-July collapse when someone argues for a June launch, and use the early-August rebound at 31% to defend peak-window budget. |
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